By Geoff Holloway
Blue Gum or Forest Red Gum (Eucalyptus tereticornis) Probably the most recognized and wide spread of the eucalypts in the greater Ipswich area. They are particularly numerous along river and creek banks and can grow to 45 metres in height and 8m metres in circumference.
The largest Blue Gum in the Ipswich area at 36m high and 7.4 m circumference is in Calvert on Western Creek just west of Rosewood. I guess this tree was too difficult to remove and survived the timber getters, many other huge blue gums were extracted all over the greater Ipswich area during the early development years.
Beside the Brisbane River near Lowwood and listed on the National Register of Big Trees is the largest Blue Gum in Australia at 45m high and 8.3m in circumference.
The trunk of the Blue Gum is straight with the bark shedding in plates leaving a smooth white, grey/blueish patches. The wood is dark red, moderately coarse even grain and dense at around 1000kg/m3, used for power poles, construction, outdoor furniture and some woodcraft.
